I will never forget my goal against Cote d’Ivoire’

A former Super Eagles midfielder, Thompson Oliha,will never forget the day he was forced to call it quits with football at 27 years due to a nagging injury.

He was hogging the headlines in the Turkish media because of his superlative showing in matches involving his club, Antalyspor, and earning fat win bonus. But the injury, which defied medical attention, aborted his dream.

However, the Edo-born retired player still has cause to smile when he looks back at his short-lived career, especially when he remembers his goal against Cote d’Ivoire in a USA’94 World Cup qualifier at the National Stadium, Lagos.

This was one game he played with his body, soul and spirit. He helped the strikers regain their confidence when he nodded home the first goal in the Eagles’ 4-1 defeat of the Elephants.

Oliha said, “I was a playing in Cote d’Ivoire then for Africa Sport and I knew almost all the Ivorien national team players.Of course some of them were my teammates.

“I knew their strengths and weaknesses. They knew me as well.

“I was determined to score against them and punish them for beating us 2-1 in the first leg in Abidjan.

“I thank God that the chance came and I utilised it. And other players took over from there and we defeated them 4-1.

“When I returned to Abidjan I became a king. My fans hailed me for the goal and I enjoyed the attention I got on the streets and the stadium.”

Before travelling abroad for professional football,Oliha had had a glorious spell on the local scene, starring first for Bendel Insurance of Benin (1986-1988) and later Iwuanyanwu Nationale (1988-1991), both strong forces in the country’s top-flight then.

In his heyday, Oliha was known for his powerful shots and aerial ability. He was nicknamed ‘Octopus Legs’ because it was difficult to know which was his stronger foot. It made his value rise as a player. In fact, at Nationale, he was the highest paid player in the domestic league with an official car attached to him due to his immense talents and great understanding of the game.

He moved onto Africa Sport where he plied his trade for just a season, 1992 and 1993 before he tried his luck in Europe, first with Israel’s Maccabi Ironi Ashdod from 1993 to 1994 and then moved to Antalyaspor (1994-1995) where he retired prematurely from the game due to a serious knee injury.

However, 14 years since he called it quits with the game, Oliha, is worried about the way football is being run in the country.

He regretted that corruption had eaten deep into the present football system unlike when he played in the domestic league.

Oliha said, “The present system must be changed. Our orientation is very bad. Our country is very good but we have many bad people. In those days, corruption was not as high as you find today.

“Those running football in Nigeria are not supposed to be the ones running it. We have to tell ourselves the truth.”

Now a coach at the Kwara Football Academy in Ilorin, he said the league had suffered most because of corrupt officials.

Oliha said that erring officials should not be spared, adding dubious persons should be made to face the full wrath of the law if caught dragging the name of the league in the mire.

“The Nigerian league is too porous. The organisation is wrong. The other day I heard Plateau United fought and they were banished to Niger State. You don’t need to banish such clubs. You give them a big fine; let them pay N200m and then remove three or four points from them.

“After all Juventus was demoted and fined for match-fixing. Liverpool paid some money when they fought against Galatassary. So you give erring clubs a huge bill so that they can talk to their supporters.

“We have to show the league out on television and also a lot of things must be done. We need to have a court whereby referees, footballers should be cautioned or fined. Or if possible, any referee who messes up a match goes to jail.

“In terms of corporate sponsorship they are not doing enough because those at the helm of affairs are not giving the companies the chance to come in; they are not encouraging them. So it’s going to be difficult for football except the government wages war against corruption.”

Oliha also said that zoning was a major factor affecting the growth of the game in the country.

He said, “I am against it (zoning) because we are Nigerians and we are not supposed to zone anything as far as football is concerned. If it is zoning of political parties, I will agree but football is one family, they don’t need to do that. Let the best come out. “In some other countries, former internationals head their football federations. These people take their football higher and higher but here in my great country, things are going down. Go round the nation, you cannot find a good pitch, no clubhouses, no stadiums and yet we are the richest country in Africa and to crown it all we don’t even have electricity to run things.”

Oliha played for the Flying Eagles at the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship in Chile and then made a total of 31 appearances for the Super Eagles, scoring two goals.

He made his international debut in 1990 against Senegal and played his last for the national team at the 1994 World Cup, coming on as a late substitute against Italy in the second round. But Oliha is not happy that benchwarmers now dominate the Eagles.

“We are about 200 million people and we have talented players everywhere. We cannot say we don’t have good players but whoever is chosen should play out his heart.

“If you are given the chance and you perform very well, the coach will like to give you another chance but if you mess up yourself, nobody wants to look at you anymore.

“When we were playing, there was dedication and continuity because we wanted to keep our form. That was why most of us were up there. But the kind of football we see these days is unlike the one we played.”

How then does he feel leaving the game at an early age?

“It was very difficult leaving the game at a young age because the fame was there. Quitting at that stage was like burying oneself. It wasn’t easy but you just have to accept the fact that you are no longer there.”

Oliha said his lowest point in the national team was when Nigeria lost to Italy in the second round of the USA ’94 World Cup.

“That defeat by Italy was my worst moment as a player. We almost made history by beating a big team like Italy. But lack of experience blew it for us. I wept like a baby after that loss.”

But at least he is happy that he had a fulfilled career.

“Playing for Nigeria at the Chile’87 WYC and USA’94 World Cup is a dream come true for me. I am very happy because everything went on fine for me as a footballer but somehow in life you must have some problems but I believe I did very well.”

He is also glad that Nigerian coaches have been finally given the chance to handle the national teams, saying that Samson Siasia and Henry Nwosu were coaches who could hold their own against the very best in the world.

“Nwosu was a quality player and had a great career in his days and a very good coach now. So I believe if he sees a good player around that can change his team, he will definitely pick such a player. He may need to change one or two players but of course I won’t pick his team for him.

“Siasia also played to the highest level. So he has all it takes to lead the Flying Eagles to success if given the necessary support.”